Sneaks takes place in a vibrant, modern-day New York City inhabited by living shoes (their laces function as arms, their tongues as faces). The film opens amid a bustling sneakerhead convention and streetball game, reflecting the city’s sneaker culture. Here a high-school basketball player named Edson wins a coveted pair of designer sneakers – siblings Ty (a pristine white high-top) and Maxine (a matching golden-white shoe) – in a raffle.
But their victory is short-lived: a shadowy figure known as the Collector (a former athlete turned obsessive sneaker thief) immediately intervenes and steals the prize shoes. During the getaway, Ty is accidentally flung from the car and left alone in the city, setting the stage for the adventure that follows.
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The heart of Sneaks is its shoe characters. Ty (voiced by Anthony Mackie) is a rare, white designer sneaker who initially sees himself as art – he would rather sit on a pedestal than get scuffed. His sister Maxine (Chloë Bailey) is the opposite: outgoing and adventurous, she believes “every inch of our tread was made to be part of something bigger” by being worn in the real world. The unlikely hero duo is helped by J.B. (Martin Lawrence), an older street sneaker who becomes Ty’s scrappy mentor, and opposed by the Collector (Laurence Fishburne), a menacing collector obsessed with acquiring rare shoes. The human Edson (Swae Lee) is the enthusiastic teen athlete who wins Ty and Maxine in the raffle, whose dreams tie back to the shoes’ purpose. All these characters – the shiny siblings, their new ally J.B., the determined Collector, and Edson – play key roles in the story’s quest.
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With Ty now lost in the city, the story becomes a race to reunite him with Maxine. Ty’s cries for help attract the attention of J.B, who begrudgingly agrees to guide him (initially in exchange for some of Ty’s decorative “bling”). Together Ty and J.B. set out across New York’s boroughs, determined to rescue Maxine. Along the way they zip through colorful locales – from street basketball courts to a high-society wedding – using creative transport like a high-speed skateboard (the “Borough Board Express” steered by a pair of skate shoes). In each place they meet new characters – a rag-tag group of shoes from all walks of life – who help them by sharing advice or little victories. (For example, at one point they win a pickup game of ball in exchange for information, and even get help from the community of shoes hanging on a wire, who comment like a Greek chorus.)
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Meanwhile, Maxine is trapped inside the Collector’s fortress-like apartment, working with other captive sneakers to figure out an escape. The Collector scours the city, determined not to lose Ty again, while Ty and J.B. draw closer to the high-rise showdown. Throughout their journey Ty learns to overcome his fear of getting scuffed and to embrace life outside his pristine box. He grows braver and more willing to rely on others – a change foreshadowed by his early conflict with Maxine (she wanted to get worn, whereas he wanted to stay a museum-piece). Without giving away the ending, the adventures and challenges ultimately teach both shoes about family and purpose. Ty’s quest to “find and rescue” his sister is what drives the story, even as they face comic perils (from pursuing sneaker-hounds to rat-filled alleys) and offbeat helpers along the way.
Director: Rob Edwards
Voice Cast: Mustard, Yoing Miko, Martin Lawrence, Anthony Mackie, Laurence Fishburne, Chloe Bailey, Swae Lee, Roddy Rich amongst others.
Runtime: 1h 28mins
Watch trailer here.
